What Good Teachers Should Do When Students are Failing
Asess what is
REALLY
causing low
performance
and which
interventions
have been used.
1. Review Student Profile data.
2. Identify the learning challenges and what specifically is happening when it occurs.
3. Examine students’ schedules and indicate the likelihood of other places where the
learning challenges are occurring and not occurring.
4. Identify the interventions that have been or are being used to address the learning
challenge/problem.
5. Identify possible contributing factors.
Student Profile
Defining the Nature of
the Problem
1. Grades % and Letter
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Grade
Attendance and
Tardiness
Behavior Referrals
Standardized Test
Results
State Test Results
Observations
Performance
Responsible Behaviors
Observations Checklist
www.achievementstrate
gies.org >templates and
tools>learning
environment).
What is the low
performance?
When is it occurring?
Where is it occurring?
How is the student
responding to the
feedback about low
performance?
Attempted, Successful, and Unsuccessful
Interventions
1. One-on-one tutoring
2. Classroom differentiation of curriculum,
assessment, instruction, learning
environment (Explain)
3. Correctives and test re-takes and/or
assignment re-dos
4. Parent involvement
5. After-school program
6. Computer-assisted reading or math
program
7. At-home computer use
8. Use of other support staff (e.g., special
ed, paraprofessionals, psychologist,
social worker)
9. Explicit teaching of learning-to-learn
skills/study strategies
10. Other (Describe)
Contributing Factors (Why is performance the way it is?)
Teacher (e.g., strategies, relationship, lack classroom resources)
Curriculum (e.g., too challenging, too easy)
Student (e.g., motivation, skills, low-confidence, lack prerequisites, socio/emotional issues)
Parents (e.g., lack skills at home, don’t provide support, lack home structure)
Organization (e.g., to many students, lack resources, lack support systems)
Other
Intervene to reduce
or eliminate low
performance/failure.
1. Select/create techniques, methods, or strategies to address the learning
challenges and contributing factors (see the Differentiation Inventory
www.achievementstrategies.org>templates and tools>intervention and
support).
2. Create a failure reduction plan including short and long-term goals, indicators
of success, strategies/methods, measures, and a timeline.
Best First Practices
1. Create a plan with the low-performing student, share your optimism, and
gain student commitment to the goal(s) and plan.
2. Teach learning-to-learn and content specific prerequisite skills.
3. Create/select correctives and differentiation activities/techniques and
provide opportunities for re-taking tests or re-doing assignments.
1 INTERVENE: Create a Failure Reduction Plan
1. Identify a short-term goal (5-10 days).
Subject area/class
What improvement(s) is desired/needed?
3. Identify Obstacles and What is Needed to
Overcome Obstacles
1.
2.
3.
4.
Memory Storage and
Retrieval
Notetaking
Vocabulary Attainment
and Development
Writing/Summarizing
2. Determine indicators of success (Look fors)
• Consistent and on-time attendance
• Successful completion of in-class and homework
assignments
• Grades of C and above on assessments
• Consistent participation in intervention services
• Demonstration of learning-to-learning skills and
responsible behaviors
4. What positive results might occur if the plan
works?
Teach Learning-to-Learn Skills and Strategies
5. Reading for Information
8. Problem Solving
and Literary Analysis
9. Interacting (i.e., speaking, listening,
6. Self-assessment and
collaborating)
Adjustment
10. Goal Setting/Planning
7. Self-Advocacy
11. Decision Making
12.
Create and Use Scaffolds Activities, Strategies, and Tasks for Learning Success
Correctives . . .
Differentiate the
Differentiate the
Content
Process
1. teach the same material in a different way than the original
Vary what students
Vary the activities
method.
will learn and the
through which
2. involve students in a different way than the original
materials that
students make sense
involvement.
represent the content. of key ideas using
3. provide students with successful experiences
essential skills.
Differentiate the
Examples of Correctives
Learning
Differentiate the
•re-teaching
Environment
Product
•alternative textbooks and materials
•workbooks
Vary the classroom
Vary how students
•academic games and simulations
conditions that set the demonstrate and
•small group study sessions
climate, expectations extend what they
•individual tutoring
for learning, and
understand and can
•learning centers and laboratories
physical conditions
do as a result of a
•computer-assisted instruction
span of learning.
•audio and video productions
•slide shows from lectures and demonstrations
Monitor the
plan, adjust, and
celebrate.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Review the look-fors (i.e. success indicators with the student.
Recognize incremental progress and determine what created positive results.
Adjust the plan and strategies and/or establish a new goal.
Share the feedback with other teachers, parents, and support staff.
Radically celebrate progress and provide encouragement and optimism.
Dr. Bobb Darnell [email protected] 1/13 Go to presentations at www.achievementstrategies.org to see the slide show.
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